…The idea for the film came to me in 2003, around the time of the build-up to the war in Iraq. There was a lot of talk about ‘yellow cake’ uranium being sold in ominous tones, but I always thought of yellow cake as being a delicious dessert treat. I thought that the contrast was really funny and that got my creative juices flowing. I always enjoy the idea of blending cute things with something horrible; it’s just such an extreme contrast that I can’t resist going back to that well over-and-over again.

From the exposed neck—I mean, his costume does not really fit him—to his Billy clubs, which look like they were assembled at a kitchen table in a Hell’s Kitchen walkup, this is the costume of a very violent man who built an outfit from goods seemingly harvested at a sporting goods store. The thing I love about this piece is that this version of DD appears to come from our New York City, far from a world where spandex and unstable molecules exist. This is a super hero outfit built from boxing gear, one created to tackle the grit and strange violence of Hell’s Kitchen. Also note Rafael’s fantastic take on DD’s radar sense. These aren’t clean, concentric circles filling the night sky from a hero blessed with extraordinary gifts. These are strange, uneven lines, something primal, like an animal’s sense of smell. Rafael’s work here is terrific—this is one of my favorite pin-ups—so if you dig it, check out the issue, and check out Grampá’s other fantastic work.